


These Walls Between Us

by littlesparrow33



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Blood Drinking, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-08-01 10:32:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16282955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlesparrow33/pseuds/littlesparrow33
Summary: There are always dangers to hunting, and with Benny joining Dean and Sam, things can get complicated. Especially taking down a vampire nest...S8 - short AU but would be later in the season





	These Walls Between Us

**Author's Note:**

> Not gonna lie, some of the stories I've been working lately on have been made while my head's not quite right. I hope that it still comes out OK and that I haven't ventured too far off the mark. This one's sad, so please be warned, and I'm sorry if it does pull at heartstrings.

Benny swung the blade and finally managed to chop off the other vampire’s head. He felt a brief moment of satisfaction before hurriedly moving through the shelving units, trying to pinpoint where Dean had gone.

He’d started this hunt with Dean and Sam entering the warehouse. They’d thought that there were only a few vampires hunting in this town, but it had turned out to be several more. The creatures had all attacked at once and divided them quickly so that Benny had been pushed out towards the back of the building. Benny had glimpsed the brothers getting separated as well, as Sam was taking down one out by the entrance and Dean was herded to another side of the warehouse. He’d smirked a bit at the annoyed scowl on the hunter’s face, which had Dean rolling his eyes as he caught Benny’s look. But he was gone in a flash, and Benny had just barely cut down the two vamps that were on him. Now he had to go find his human companions and make sure nothing killed them.

It seemed like the stacks went on forever, though the sounds of fighting grew steadily louder. Harsh grunts and fists smacking against flesh and the occasional object careening from a shove. Turning one more row, Benny saw Sam cornered by two vampires. Before they could react to Benny arriving, he rushed in and decapitated the one on the left, allowing Sam to focus on the other. He was about to help the hunter finish it off when he heard a body hitting the floor and a familiar voice shouting.

“Dean!” Benny whipped around and rushed toward the sound, icy fear clamping in his chest when he heard the harsh laugh of one of the vampires. His vision seemed to narrow down to a single path as he ran to the source of the noise. Although he strained his ears to listen, Benny didn’t hear Dean throwing off his opponent. The only sounds were fainter groans of pain and shuffling limbs in what seemed to be a failing resistance.

Benny was finally close enough to know that Dean and the vampire were struggling around the next corner. He called out again as they came into view, “ _Dean!_ ”

His voice cut off as he saw the hunter prone on the floor, blood pouring out of several wounds, covering his chest and arms. The vampire was currently latched onto Dean’s forearm, sucking out the life from the man, who still fought weakly even though the vampire could now bat him away absently. Dean was pale, and his eyes were starting to flutter shut, even as he tried to pull his arm back.

A rage came over Benny and in moments he’d dragged the vampire off the hunter and removed its head. The action barely registered with him, as the most important person in his new life gave a low moan from the floor. His attention snapped back to Dean and Benny froze as he took in the sight before him.

Unfortunately, ripping away the vampire had further opened the wound on Dean’s arm and the blood was pumping out with every beat of Dean’s fading heart. The hard cement, Dean’s ripped clothes, and nearly all his skin: covered in bright red fluid, fresh and gleaming. As the situation started to sink in and Benny began to realize that Dean was currently on the brink of death, Benny’s fangs began to drop of their own volition.

Benny’s gut began to clench in a whole new horrific way. He could feel himself stepping closer, even when his higher brain was screaming for him to get back, get back _now_ , before things got out of hand. But soon his boots were entering the pooling blood and right after that the fabric of his pants became soaked in it as he kneeled in close to the hunter.

Dull green eyes managed to look up at him, struggling to stay open and meet his gaze. “B-Ben…” Dean managed to breathe out. “H’lp, Ben—”

Benny couldn’t hear anything else after that, not over the white noise running through his head. And despite his roiling stomach and the cold dread in his limbs, Benny found himself sinking flat to the ground and lapping at the blood. Dean’s blood. The taste swam through him like a drug, and he bathed his face in it, feeling the liquid running through his beard and hair. It burst over his tongue and the monster in him delighted at the feast before him.

When he managed to raise his head and look at the hunter again, he expected those beautiful green eyes to look horrified at his actions. Dean would finally see the vampire for what he was once again, for the first time since their original meeting. But he only saw sadness, disappointment, and resignation. It lasted for a final breath and then Dean stilled, eyes closing.

It was enough to drag Benny out of it for a moment, as he looked at the man who had saved him. Benny felt the weight of it all creeping in and realized that his higher brain was still screaming, though his baser instincts controlled his fanged mouth. He began to shudder when he heard more footsteps approaching.

Sam’s voice bellowed out. “Monster! How _could_ you? Dean thought you were his _friend!_ ”

Benny looked up at the younger Winchester, stopped outside of the blood line running along the ground. He felt the blood dripping off his chin and knew from the disgusted look on Sam’s face that he was showing every part of the monster he was. Sam’s eyes were accusing and furious and it snapped Benny the rest of the way. With a dawning realization, Benny realized that the bloody vampire Sam was currently glaring at—mindless, bloodsucking creature—was the last thing Dean saw of this world as he bled out. Not a friend, not the creature who owed his current existence to the hunter—not _Benny_.

Dean’s pale face suddenly filled his sight and Benny was wholly himself again. But it was too late. The monster had ripped away the last good thing in Benny’s world. It didn’t matter now if Sam chopped his head off and he returned to Purgatory. It didn’t matter if Benny was ripped to shreds and completely disappeared from existence. Without Dean—his brave, clever, amazing hunter—nothing mattered anymore.

Now the screaming in his head finally ripped itself from his throat and Benny felt it echoing all around him as he shouted his anguish to the world. It held on even as he felt Sam approaching from behind him to end it all. But he only had eyes for Dean, as he continued to cry out. A hand reached out to him and clasped his shoulder hard.

“Benny. _Benny_ , wake up!”

He shot upright with a gasp. Panting, his blue eyes darted around in the low light until finding concerned green eyes looking back where Dean had sat up next to him on the bed. Benny’s throat was sore, so he must have been making noise in his sleep, or he was still simply choked up from the adrenaline pumping through him now. He took a careful breath and leaned back, shutting his eyes tight.

Dean hesitantly moved his hand to run soothingly along Benny’s tense neck. “You OK?” he inquired softly.

Benny shuddered a little under the touch and drew himself in tight. “No,” was the rough reply.

Benny kept his eyes shut, but he could hear Dean give a soft sigh. He felt the hunter edge in closer, shifting slowly as he gave Benny time to push him back if the contact wasn’t welcome. It was; Benny wanted so badly to reach out and pull Dean into his arms, but the vision of Dean bloody under him refused to fade. Benny didn’t push Dean away now, but he couldn’t touch him back yet either. Luckily, it didn’t deter the hunter.

Dean tucked right up against Benny’s side, running a calming hand in a light massage on the back of his neck. It worked to soothe the vampire a little bit, as some of his muscles began to unclench and he finally opened his eyes to see Dean looking at him carefully. The hunter was no stranger to nightmares, so Benny knew there was only empathy in Dean’s eyes and no pity. Still, Benny felt a little guilty for waking him.

“Sorry,” he muttered, even as Dean immediately shook his head.

“It’s OK.” Dean considered him carefully. They had woken each other up enough times that it was well-established that they didn’t talk about them. But something seemed to be different this time, as Dean quietly said, “You were saying my name.”

Ah, that would do it. They had plenty of pain in both their pasts to last a lifetime, but Dean was his present and his future. Dean probably wouldn’t press him (since that could open him to Benny asking about the hunter’s nightmares as well), but he wasn’t ignoring it either and Benny didn’t want to hide anything.

He took a breath. “You were dying. Bleeding out, and I couldn’t stop it. And then…the blood was too much. I couldn’t control it, and… And, then you were…” He tried to swallow around his tight throat.

Dean leaned in for a quick, reassuring kiss. “I’m here. Still alive.” He gave no other assurances or promises, just let Benny feel his presence. Benny let out a shaky breath and shifted to wrap his arms around Dean.

They lay together quietly for a bit. Benny knew Dean would bitch for ages if he ever called the hunter a cuddler, but that’s exactly what he was, and Benny loved it. The undead life was cold and separate, so feeling Dean’s warmth draped all over him felt heavenly. As Benny found himself relaxing, Dean quietly spoke up again.

“Sometimes I dream that we’re hunting a nest of vampires. Then I turn around and the next vampire is you, but I’ve already swung the blade.” He ran a hand over Benny’s throat and the vampire could feel the slight trembling in those fingers. “Can’t stop it in the dream. And when I can control things again it’s already too late.”

“Well, cher, looks like our nightmares are pretty much the same.”

“Not exactly shocking.” Dean pressed a sweet kiss to Benny’s neck, making the vampire hum in pleasure. “We’re supposed to be on opposite sides of the tracks, you and I. Then you had to go and change everything.”

Benny finally smiled. “There you go blamin’ me again like you had nothin’ to do with it.”

“’Cause it was all your fault,” Dean muttered. “You went and seduced me to the dark side.”

The Southern man hummed again. “What was I supposed to do with all those coy looks and innuendos you were throwin’ out? You were _beggin’_ to be seduced, cher.” Now, Benny was ready to put aside his dark dream and focus on the gorgeous man in his arms. One hand trailed over Dean’s hip and snuck beneath his shirt to rub circles into the man’s side. Benny knew that too light a pressure could send the man into giggles, but the right amount would get a moan instead.

He got a moan.

Then he got a yawn.

Benny chuckled as Dean let out an exasperated breath. “C’mon man, we _just_ got back from huntin’, I need my four hours before gettin’ frisky, all right?”

The vampire settled back in and ran a soothing hand _over_ Dean’s shirt this time. “I know. Sorry, cher.”

Dean grunted back, “Don’ be sorry. ’M gonna make ya say my name some more in the mornin’.”

“Cocky little hunter.”

“Shut up, now,” he demanded, sleepily. Dean shifted over Benny until he was comfortable and then let out a deep sigh of contentment. Benny echoed him as he held the other man in his arms, laying gentle kisses over Dean’s closed eyes before settling down himself.

Even if the dreams came back, at least he had Dean to wake up to.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
THE END  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~


End file.
